This week of marked the remainder of my wild ride at Northside Music Festival, where I saw the quirky Xenia Rubinos, the feel good jams of Sinkane, the untamed energy of Milk Music (who I still can’t get out of my head) and Merchandise. Kristen had her own whirlwind experience at Bonnaroo, conveniently broken down into types, with The Rubens described as “The One To Watch” and Father John Misty as the ‘Should Already Be Famous” aka, basically Jesus. Also during this week Brigit reviewed Heliotropes’ debut full length, A Constant Sea, citing it as “a remarkably dusky record that synthesizes the forces of metal, psychedelic, post-rock and just about any other type of genre which demands seriously high volume.” Katrina talked with Javier Dunn, who is going solo after touring with Sara Bareilles.
Other goodies this past week include:
Psychic Twin, who is known for multitudes of vocal looping, premiered new track “Unlock Yr Heart”
The Orwells just released their Other Lives EP, and it sounds like they still are trippin’ in and trippin’ out, just like in their homemade video for “Other Voices.” No wonder with all the “others” going on here.
A Grave With No Name premiered new track “Dig Me Out,” off new album Whirlpool, due out July 16. This is a must have grungy dream pop jam for those ridiculously hot summer days when you can’t even see straight down the heat wavering street.
The Jim Jones Revue are gearing up to release their third full length, The Savage Heart, and that title aptly describes their sound and the mood it will put you in. Think Iggy and the Stooges energy and vocal attitude with some foot stomping, clapping, and piano raging.
“Kanye” is the standout track from Phoenix, AZ’s electro-folk duo, Bogan Via, which just this past week got the official video treatment.
Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas’ new jam “Gone In Two Seconds” reminds me of Grand Ole Party in fierce femme belting and attitude. Influenced by the likes of Gogol Bordello and Tom Waits, that makes total sense. Bet they’d be cool to see live – good thing they have also announced a tour. Frowns on no northeast dates, though.
Atlanta dream pop indie outfit Mood Rings are finally coming back to NYC in a couple weeks, and I’ve been looking forward to this ever since their Converse Rubber Tracks session.
Chicago rapper Jahzel shared new track “Carefree,” which I think he explains well enough in his own words: “I was inspired buy a chilled summer night of just kicking it with the homies…On this night in particular I wasn’t going to allow anything to worry or stress me out. Sometimes we get caught up in the everyday functions of our lives trying to survive, and forget to take the time to enjoy the things we’re working hard to get.”
It’s hard to not fawn over a new psych pop band from the UK, because you really just can’t go wrong with re-creating that indelible feel of the ’60s these days. Temples is the latest emerging band to do just that, and they have the hair and cheekbones for added effect.
It’s always interesting to me when a band’s first really big hit is a ballad, maybe because it’s a tougher and more meaningful feat to capture a majority audience’s attention by silencing them and making them be still. That’s what London Grammar seem to be doing, taking Europe by the hand and sitting it down to take in “Wasting My Young Years,” the band’s latest single off the just released Metal & Dust EP, out on Columbia Records, no less.
Tracklist:
The Jim Jones Revue – “7 Times Around the Sun”
Temples – “Shelter Song”
Heliotropes – “Ribbons”
Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas – Gone In Two Seconds”
Xenia Rubinos – “Cherry Tree”
Sinkane – “Jeeper Creeper”
Jahzel – “Carefree”
Bogan Via – “Kanye”
Javier Dunn – “Couple of Drinks”
Father John Misty – “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings”
Milk Music – “I’ve Got a Wild Feeling”
The Orwells – “Other Voices”
Merchandise – “Who Are You?”
The Rubens – “My Gun”
A Grave With No Name – “Dig Me Out”
Psychic Twin – “Unlock Yr Heart”
Mood Rings – “The Line”
London Grammar – “Wasting My Young Years”
BONUS Video: Haerts, “All the Days” is just gorgeous. Reminds me of that Jane Austen quote, “To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love.” This video exemplifies that sentiment beautifully, especially since they used real people they met dancing in a salsa club in Los Angeles. I hope I’m still shaking my hips like that in 20 years.
